Retail prices of several vegetables have risen by 17% to 100% in barely 10 days, with cucumber recording the steepest jump — from Rs 40 a kg on Sept 1 to Rs 80 a kg on Wednesday. Kolkata: After onions and sugar, vegetables are turning dearer, tightening the squeeze on household budgets.
Impact of Weather on Vegetable Prices and Supply Chains
Recent weather patterns, including continuous rain and waterlogging, have significantly disrupted local vegetable production. This has led to a scarcity of good-quality vegetables in markets. Manik Mandal, a vegetable seller at Behala market, noted, “We have to discard much more than usual because vegetables coming from waterlogged fields rot quickly.” He emphasized that while customers notice higher prices, they often overlook the substantial amount of stock that is being wasted.
Wholesalers report that reduced local production has compelled traders to source vegetables from more distant growing areas, increasing transportation and handling costs. Durga Charan Das, a trader at Koley Market, confirmed that damaged standing crops and delays in harvesting have exacerbated supply issues. Fresh supplies are still reaching markets, but quality remains a concern, contributing to rising prices for consumers.
Ridged gourd, which sold for around Rs 60 a kg at the beginning of the month, is now priced at Rs 80 per kg, while bitter gourd has jumped from Rs 60 to Rs 80-100 a kg. The cost of Brinjal has climbed from Rs 60 to Rs 80, while tomato and okra are now being sold from Rs 40 to Rs 60 per kg. Long beans now cost around Rs 80 a kg against the previous price of Rs 60 a kg. Pointed gourd has seen a relatively moderate increase in price, from Rs 60 to Rs 70 a kg. Earlier, Rs 200 would get us enough vegetables for two to three days.
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“Moreover, the festive period has already begun and most retailers are trying their best to enhance their margin of profit, despite regular enforcement branch raids across the markets,” said a market insider at Koley Market. Now the same amount barely fills a shopping bag,” said Anirban Basak of Behala. Retailers said the problem was not merely a decline in arrival of fresh supplies but also the quality of produce reaching the markets. Traders said the journey from farm to neighbourhood market involves several stages, including aggregation, wholesale trading, transportation and retailing. Losses and margins at each stage can widen the difference between wholesale and retail prices, according to them.
Market sources blamed the surge on crop damage and waterlogging after spells of heavy rain across vegetable-growing belts in south Bengal. Vegetables retrieved from inundated fields are often of inferior quality and have a shorter shelf life, reducing the volume of marketable produce even when supply appears to be adequate. “For a family of four, vegetables alone are now taking away a substantially bigger portion of the daily food budget. The vegetable spike comes when households are already grappling with higher prices of other kitchen items. Download the TOI App.